Alarm mechanism



G. BROWNING Jan. 1, 1935.

ALARM MECHANI SM Filed Jan. 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 1935- I G. BROWNING 86,499

ALARM MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 1, 1935. BROWNING 1,986,499

ALARM MECHANISM Filed Jan. 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 SILENT OFF 5; 5n Hmvos ALARM MIDNIGHT Patented JUL, 1, 1935 I 1,986,499

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Goorge mM,WM ,llL techi- DMJMBQIMSUUNO. 588,217.

scum. (Cl. ace-a) 'Ihis'invention relates to clocks spe- Figure 1 is a iaeeiview of a clock em dying ciairei'erencetoalarmm hanis tobeemmyimnrovedaiarm ployed therewithfor the purpos of emittingan 2 is a back view oi. the clock shown in rmat prede times. Fig.1; 6 beencus omaryin-thepastto m3isaviewoi'therearsideoitheclock Provide devices having a supplementary dial on moveme t with the electrical connections shown the face of the clock and a separate hand posimmatie u tioned thereon to cooperate with the dial in indi- Fix. 4 is a schematic view of the clock movecatingthetimeatwhichthealannwouldbe mentandalarmm hanism shown'mrtlyin this to provide a relatively expensive cam and pin Pig. 5 is an elevation of the back oi the clock t howing in solid lines the stvivitching anis in the alarm undin posi on an es, the position of this m chanism position. I Y m vation or'the' back of the clock increased the cost of manui'a'chrre oi the clock movemen howin the alarm sounding mechand was not well adapted for use in electrically onism in its inoperative position; driven clocks. Fig. I is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5 I have. therefore, aimed to provide improved showing the alarm lever latch. 20 alarm chanis for clocks ha ing improved Pix. vi

dering the signal means operative at the desired a modified form 01' llarm setting m chanismtime Fig. 10 a a back view oi'the clock shown 2 Another object oi the invention is the provi- Fig 9 with the back plate and dial removed;

sionoialarm ptedtoemitasig 0 While in its aspect the invention is 30 A further object oi the invention is the proviby no means limited to present embodiment, sion of alarm adapted to periodi I have herein shown it in combination with an o I uspending the periodic operation thereof when non-selrtartin ty e. Referring first to Figdesir I lira 1 to 8 inclusive, the clock includes the cusas Another object of the invention is to provide narylrame plates 9 upon which are supported means for preventing the clock hand from being the non-seli-starting motor having 8. turned in the wrong direction sumciently to ninated core 11 about which is wound the injure the mec A still further object of the invention is to 13 and 14. A rotor 15 is' supported between the 40 providealarm chanis i'orclockswherei the Poles13and14 onashatt mtorotatein timeding time the shaft 16 being provided Another object is to provide an electri clock with a pinion 17 for the purpose oi driving the Vmg improved means for actuating the signal oonven clock generally 45 meansoian ,bythenumeralia Theclocktrainissoar- Another object of the invention is the proanged that the gear 19 and pinion 21 mixed on oi a clock for to the second shalt 22 make a complete soun an alarm at twenty-four hour in re in one minute A gear 23 meshes 5o vals. and also at very short with accurwith the pinion 21 and drives a pinion 24 mesh to soy ingwithaeeariis onthe minute shaft 26, caus- Other objects and attendant advantages will in; the minuteshatt to make a complete revobecomeapparenttothose killedintheartirom lution once every hour. A gear 27 is fixed on the following description and the accompanying the minute shaft 26. The gear 25 is rotatable his drawingsinwhi e, with espect to'the' minute shait but is nor- 86 erally by the the present construction the sleeve ting shaft engages a gear 34, the gear train comprising the gears 21, 29,

32, and 33, serving to rotate the hour shaft 34 one complete revolution every twelve hours. Hands 35, 36, and 3'? are supported on the outer ends of the shafts 22, 26, and 34, respectively. The slip connection the gears 25 and 2'1 permits the hour and minute hands 3'1 and 36 to be set with respect to the dial of the clock through rotation of the hand setting shaft 31 without transmitting motion to the remainder of the gear train. The above described mechanism constitutes the normal clock movement with which I have combined novel means for sounding an alarm at a predetermined time.

This consists of an alarm dial indicated gennumeral 38, having on its face numerals from 1 to 12 and graduations as best shown in Figure 1, the dial being axially mounted upon and in fixed relation to a sleeve 39 surrounding the hour shaft 34 of the clock. This sleeve is frictionally held against a shoulder 41 on the hour shaft by means of a spring spider 42 acting between the gear 33 and the sleeve. In 39 has a gear 43 formed integrally therewith arranged to drive an idler gear 44 positioned to engage the former. The parts are also positioned so that the idler gear 44 will mesh with a gear 45 on an alarm setting shaft 46, the ratio between the gears 43 and-45 being two. to one, so that ,the gear 43 and the alarm dial 38 secured thereto will make two complete revolutions to each revolution of the gear 45 and the alarm setting shaft 46. A circular disk 47 presently to be more fully described, is flxedly secured to the forward end of I the alarm setting shaft 46 and rotates therewith.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1 and 4, the clock may advantageously be positioned in a suitable cabinet designated generally by the numeral 51 and be provided with a time indicating dial 52. This dial is provided with an axial opening 53 through which the face of the alarm setting dial 38-projects or is visible. The a a small opening 50 through which the disk 4'7 may be viewed.

The face of the disk 4'1 is shown in Fig. 8 and is provided with two spots 48 and 49 of different colors against a background of white. preferably black and red, for the purpose of designating the portion of the day at which the alarm will sound. Sounding of the alarm is brought about responsive to rotation cfthe shaft 46, a single alarm period resulting from-the rotation of this shaft through one complete revolution. The shaft is also employed tov rotate the I to indicate to the user the time at which the alarm will be sounded. Thus, up'on -manual rotation of the shaft 46 through one revolution by means of a knob 54 the alarm dial 38 will move through two complete revolutions. At the beginning of one of these revolutions the black spot will pass beneath the opening 56 and at the beginning or the other revolution the red spot will pass therebeneath. Thus, to set the alarm to ring at a time twelvehours or less from the time at which figures.

it is set, the knob 54 is rotated until the red spot appears through the opening 50 in the dial after which the rotation of the knob is continued until the figure on the alarm dial, indicating at which the clock is to ring, is exactly under The alarm will at the designated hour every 24 On the other hand, if the time at which the alarm is to sound is more than twelve hours distant from the time of setting, the knob 54 is turned until the black spot appears and then rotated until the correct numeral of the alarm dial rests beneath the hour hand whereupon the alarm will sound at 24 hour intervals which are 12 hours distant from the-previous setting.

Referring now more particularly to 5, and 6, a pair of cam ks 55 and-56 are axially supported upon the alarm setting shaft 46 beyond and adjacent to the rear plate of the of a collar '1, spacing washers provided while the cam disk 55 is provided with a plurality of small depressions 63 substantially uniformly distributed along its edge. A notch 64 in the cam disk 55 substantially coincides with the notch 62 in the disk 56 and is of greater width and depth than the remainder notches in the disk 55. A pawl 65. is supported upon a pin 66 and is provided with an ofiset end 67 positioned to ride on the periphery of the cam disk 56 as the latter rotates and arranged to drop into the notch 62 under the action of a coil spring 68 on the pin 66. The is also provided with an upwardly projecting arm 69 having a notch on one edge thereof designated by the numeral '11 for the purpose of sup porting an alarm lever '12 in a manner presently to be described.

The alarm lever '12 is pivotally supported in a horizontally disposed position upon a pin '13 in the back plate of the clock and is provided with a free end '14 projecting out of the clock cabinet 51 and an end 15 extending along the rear face of the clock in substantially the same vertical plane as the cam insulating material '16 is secured to the extreme end of the lever 72 and is provided with a contact point 1'1 to which a wire is connected for the purpose of conducting electric current thereto. A plate of electrical insulation '18 is secured to the rear plate of the clock by means of a bracket '19 in a position such that upon rotation of the lever 12 the contact point 1'1 will come into contact with the contact point 81 on the insulation '18 to close an electrical circuit through signal means presently to be described. The lower edge of the lever '15 is provided with a downwardly extending projection ride alon the cam surface of the disk 55. periodically drops into one the notches 63 in this disk and prevents the manual turning of the shaft 46 While these notches are spaced along the disk-and do in some instances permit of a certain amount of clockwise movement before the projection 82 drops into a notch, this tion is not sumcient to result in any material damage to the clock mechanism. A laterally ex- 83 is formed on the lower edge '12 and is positioned to move in the the pawl and the notch 1i thereof under proper circumstances as will presently be described.

As previously described, the dever '12 is pivotin a clockwise direction facing the the hour 4. neeaeeai sound twelve hours later or earlier as the case the first-mentioned cam, spring actuated latch might be. means arranged to ride said second cam and It will thus be observed that I have provided rendered operative by engagement in said cam whereby alarms may be sounded for substantialsaid lever to open said switch during said pree 1y anyperiod of time differing from thirty secdetermined interval, said latch means holding onds .to twenty-four hours. For times varying said lever, in the last-mentioned position until up to three hours the notifier dial and the setthe lapse of said interval and releasing said lever ting mechanism are employed, while for times at the termination of said interval responsive to greater than three hours and less than twentysaid notch. in

tour hours the alarm mechanism herein speci- 3. In an alarm clock having a imi E -1' iically described is employed. train and time indicating hands driven thereby,

I have provided improved and simplified a switch therefor, a lever carrying one contact mechanism whereby the alarm is automatically Point f th w h, 8; m di d v n m Said sounded once in twenty-hour hours corresponda ai th g a c mp revolution in i ing to the same time. This will be seen as a w o hours, h v a p ty of n h great convenience since it permits a person arisf relatively Small depth to limit backward m ning at a uniform time to neglect the usual duties u'a m v m n f th am and a sin n tch 01 of setting the alarm each evening before r greater depth, contact of said first-mentioned tiring. notches with said lever causing reciprocation oi 2 I I have also provided improved means for desa lever ou h aampli ude and co ignating the hour t whi h th alarm 111 sound tact of said last-mentioned notch therewith at any time in the normal operation of the and the time of the day, whereby the provision causing the closing 01 Said Switch during a N8- of an independent hand on the face of the clock determined interval, manually operable means is eliminated.

I have also provided means for commetely and cam operated latch mechanism automatishutting ofi the operation of the alarm mecha- Cally rendered operable upon the opening of id switch open during nism so that no alarm si 1 will e mi said switch for mlding gm b e tted said interval and for releasing said switch at the clock. termination of said interval.

While I have thus described and illustrated a having timing train specific embodiment of my invention I am aware and tune .mdlcatmg. hands driven therepy that numerous alterations and changes may be control swltch swltch actuating lever pwoted intermediate its ends and carrying a switch made therein without materially departing from contact adjacent one end and a. cam follower the scope of the invention and the appended between the contact and the pivotal support, a

i gz g cam arranged to be rotated by the timing train 1 In an alarm clock having a timing gear and positilclineld {3r ctgiitact 111331318 cam follower 0 home 0 sa con c an 0 en ifg time indicating hands dnven thereby tion, said Zam having a notch for the per ifislc a swi c a lever carrying One conta Point of reception of the followerto move the lever and the arranged to open and the latter close said contact and a lever acting between i reclpmcated cam driven from Said gear the cam and the switch lever arranged to latch tram through a complete revolution in twentythe switch' lever in the pen position when four hours and having shaped characteristics manually returned theretd 1 for reciprocating the lever at each revolution In an alarm clocki'havmg a timing tram to close said switch during a predetermined inand time indicating hands driven thereby, a terval, manually operable means for moving the control switch, a Switch actuating lever pivqted lever to open the switch before the end of said intermediate its ends and carrying a Switch interval'vlatch mechanism arranged hold the contact adjacent one end and a cam follower lever in the last-mentioned position until the between the Contact and the pivotal Support lapse of said interval and to release said lever cam arranged to be rotated y metiming train thereafter, and mammal mechanism and positioned for contact with the cam follower manually operable for maintaining said lever to normally hold said Contact in an open out of contact with said cam to hold said switch on, Said cam having tch for the periodic open durmg said interval reception of the follower to move the lever and In an alarm clock having timing gear, close said contact, and a spring actuated bell tram time indicating hands driven b crank lever having an end adapted to ride on a switch therefor, a lever carrying one contact a cam and an end adapted t move t poi t or the switch, a cam connected to the gaging position when said first-mentioned end 6 tuning in ag in t which id lev r ri vmoves into said notch, whereby to engage the ing a notch iorreciprocating said lever once in switch lever when the latter is manually moved twenty-four hours to close said switch during a to openthe switch and to release the same wli predetermined interval, a second cam arranged the first-mentioned end moves out of said cam to. rotate with said first-mentioned cam and notch;

having a notch coinciding with the notch 01 GEORGE BROWNING. a

for opening said switch during said interval, 2 

